1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wind powered hydro-electric power plant and a method of operation thereof. More particularly, this invention relates to a hydroelectric power plant where water is forced through a turbine by high pressure air produced by wind energy and a method of operation thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to have windmills connected to compressed air generators to produce pressurized air. It is also known to have windmills that are used to produce electricity with battery packs as back up to produce electricity when the wind is not blowing. The battery packs are charged by the electrical generators connected to the windmills. When the wind stops blowing the battery packs run out of electrical power too quickly. Also, when the batteries in the battery pack have been charged and discharged a number of times, the batteries must be replaced at great expense. Windmills can generate electricity simply by having an electrical generator connected directly to a windmill. Windmills connected to electrical generators cannot consistently produce 60 cycle electricity because of the variation in the speed of the windmills. Without 60 cycle electricity, previous windmill/electricity systems cannot be connected into a grid system of an electrical utility.
Current windmill systems that generate electricity through an electrical generator have a disadvantage in that no electricity is generated by the windmills when the wind is not blowing. Further, existing windmill systems do not store sufficient energy created when the wind is blowing where that energy can be used to generate electricity when the wind is not blowing. Still further, battery packs can be very expensive and they do not store energy for a sufficiently long time. Also, battery packs can lose their capacity for recharging and then must be replaced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydroelectric power plant using windmills to provide the energy to generate electricity. It is a further object to provide a hydroelectric power plant having a reserve to generate electricity when the wind is not blowing. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method of operation of a hydroelectric power plant based on wind energy and storing excess energy created when the wind is blowing for use when the wind is not blowing.
A hydroelectric power plant has a plurality of windmills connected to compressed air generators to provide pressurized air to a set of liquid storage tanks. Each storage tank has a high pressure water outlet, a water inlet and an air inlet and air outlet. The water outlet of each storage tank is connected to a water inlet of a turbine that generates electricity when water passes through it. The turbine has a water outlet and an electrical power outlet. The turbine water outlet is connected to a recycle line that is in turn connected to the water inlets of the storage tanks. Control means is connected to control the transfer and distribution of pressurized air to the storage tanks, to control the flow of high pressure water from the storage tanks to the turbine, and to control the recycling of water from the water outlet of the turbine to the water inlet of the storage tanks. The electrical power outlet of the turbine is connected to a power line.
Preferably, the power plant has a high pressure air reserve system to store high pressure air for use when wind velocities are not sufficient to operate the plant. The air reserve system has an air inlet and an air outlet. The control means produce electricity when the wind is not sufficiently strong to operate the plant.
A method of operating a hydroelectric power plant using compressed air obtained from a plurality of windmills connected to compressed air generators, said plant having storage tanks and high pressure air reserve tanks, said method comprising producing pressurized air when the wind is blowing to operate compressed air generators connected to windmills, introducing the pressurized air into a plurality of storage tanks that are nearly filled with water. Storing excess compressed air produced by the windmills when the wind is blowing in high pressure reserve air tanks, controlling the water outlet valves from each of the storage tanks to release high pressure water into an outlet line connected to the water inlet of a turbine, causing the water to flow into the turbine through the water inlet and out of the water outlet of the turbine, thereby generating electricity, bleeding the pressurized air within those storage tank that have been substantially emptied of water to the air reserve tanks, pumping the water from the water outlet of the turbine back into the substantially empty storage tanks, returning the high pressure air that has been bled from the nearly empty storage tanks back to the water filled storage tanks, supplementing the air pressure within the storage tanks with high pressure air from the reserve air tanks or with high pressure air generated by the wind mills if required, and causing the electricity generated by the turbine to flow into a power line.
Preferably, the power line is connected to a service line of an electrical utility and flow of electricity is controlled by an electrical transfer controller so that when the electrical power plant generates excess electricity in the power line, electricity can flow through the transfer controller into a grid of the electrical utility and when the electrical power plant does not generate sufficient electricity, electricity is connected to control the flow of high pressure air to and from the air reserve system.
Still more preferably, where the climatic conditions are such that the water used in the power plant could freeze, anti-freeze is added to the water to lower the freezing temperature.
Further, anti-coagulant is preferably added to the water.